Subsidence

Monday, 20 April 2015

The surrounding area in terms of subsidence

If your insurer asks you about any history of subsidence in the “surrounding area”, you may find difficulty answering the question.

You should not have to answer any questions that would require specialist knowledge to answer, but if a question like this does come up, you will need to ask the insurer for clarification.

The surrounding area is not a specific unit of measurement, so could in effect extend for a radius of several miles. Typically, such a question might refer to neighbouring houses, as if you are aware that a neighbour's house has undergone subsidence you are required to disclose this as a material fact.

High risk areas

If you live in an area that is particularly at risk from subsidence, most insurers will already have some idea. This could be regions with a high proportion of clay in ground soils, such as the south east. Clay soils are more likely to be subject to subsidence issues than other types because they are prone to greater amounts of shrinkage during extended periods of heat and drought. When you first purchase your house, you should always carry out checks about the property's subsidence history and discern whether other nearby homes have had recent problems. Houses built upon clay soils are more susceptible to subsidence that can be exacerbated by the presence of trees.

Tree talk

An insurer is likely to ask you about any trees located near your property as, depending on the type of tree and the distance it is planted from the building, this information could be relevant to determining the risk of your case.

Should you have a willow tree that is located within forty metres of your property, this is something that insurers will definitely need to know about. Most trees have a minimum safe distance that they should be planted beyond in order to minimise the chances of them causing (or accelerating) subsidence. You should always bear this in mind when planting new trees. A large tree that has stood within the safe distance for many years (and perhaps even predates the property itself) will not necessarily constitute a threat, but will still need to be disclosed on your insurance application.

What does the "surrounding area" cover?

Though (in terms of trees) the "surrounding area" is likely to be limited to the forty metre radius needed for willow type root systems to grow, the situation changes considerably when it comes to mining. Because mining works are unlikely to be immediately visible until something goes wrong and a sink/pot-hole appears mysteriously out of nowhere, it is vital that you take steps to research the mining history of the land around your property. Because mines that closed over a century ago may never have been officially documented, there is a small chance that a mining check may not reveal that one is lying directly beneath your home.

On the most part though, mining checks are a must if there is any history of mining in your region. This is something you should do for your own benefit, but if something is revealed then you will need to let your insurer know. Since mine networks can span great distances underneath the ground, this could dramatically alter the definition of "surrounding area".

Insurance

If your home has a history of subsidence, or other properties nearby have suffered subsidence that could potentially affect your home too, you are likely to have a hard time finding the home insurance you need to protect your property.

Even homes that have since had subsidence issues repaired will be an excruciating obstacle in finding adequate buildings insurance. Subsidence risk should be assessed based on the risk that your home is at now, not on the risk it was at whilst still subsiding. With HomeProtect, you can obtain a competitive quote for subsidence insurance even when other insurers would be afraid to do so.